The invention relates to devices and methods for testing structural members and more specifically to systems for inspecting structural components by employing penetrating radiation to scan said components.
The testing of large scale structural members such as the concrete containment walls used in blast-proof buildings poses a difficult problem. These members are frequently of substantial size and are not ordinarily capable of being tested adequately in accordance with conventional inspection techniques because such techniques do not allow the integrity of the construction in their interior regions to be assessed. The type of inspection required might nevertheless be accomplished by taking core samples of components at different points. However, this would involve damaging the components themselves as part of the test procedure and is an expensive and time consuming undertaking for structural components of significant size.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved inspection system which is operative on large scale structural components for identifying defects such as voids, areas of reduced thickness or density and honeycomb conditions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved system for inspecting structural components which carries out its testing in a non-destructive fashion, i.e., without damaging the structural component under inspection, and with sufficient accuracy to reliably identify significant defects.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved system for inspecting structural components which can rapidly and efficiently inspect components of substantial size but which is economical to construct and operate.